Kiyotaka Sugiyama -- Saigo no Holy Night （最後のHoly Night)

The first lead vocal of the smooth Omega Tribe, shades-sporting Kiyotaka Sugiyama（杉山清隆）, went solo from the band in 1986. His first single was "Sayonara no Ocean"（さよならのオーシャン....Goodbye Ocean）, an appropriately summery song in May of that year. But his second release was a distinctly different animal based on a bittersweet reminiscence of a former couple's final Xmas Eve together.. "Saigo no Holy Night"(Last Holy Night), despite its last two words, has no religious significance but is an innocent City Pop Xmas song.

The video above (unfortunately taken down) gives a fine presentation of what a Tokyo Christmas looks like, something that I used to see often. In fact, my first Xmas Eve in Tokyo in 1994 was spent walking down Omotesando, the tony tribute to Champs-Elysees and one of the scenes shown in the video. It was about as romantic as a traffic jam. Thousands of people were herded down that avenue like cattle while cops were posted on the pedestrian overpasses yelling at us to keep moving. They don't have those mob scenes anymore since the city banned closing off the street though the Christmas lights are still there.

"Saigo no Holy Night", composed by Sugiyama and written by Masao Urino（売野雅勇）, was released in November 1986 and peaked at No. 2.